Cystic Fibrosis Lung disease

Just recently on my spring break (3/10/10) I was setting and thinking about what I wanted to do my Immunology project on, trying to figure out what topic I wanted to write about. At that very moment of thinking I was also eating crackers and cheese! I choked on my evening snack and began to pound on my chest as if I were suffering form Cystic Fibrosis. When I thought of the action I was taking I became interested in the disease and I thought I had found my project topic. I began to write my paper about the disease but only to come so far and realize I didn't have as much information and interest to keep me writing. So instead of wasting that knowledge I decided to share it in my blog!!!



What is Cystic Fibrosis and what does it have to do with the immune system???

A progressive disease of the mucous glands that is chronic and genetically linked. The build up of the mucous causes breathing and digestive complications and harmfully affects the lungs and pancreas. The extremely thick mucous builds up within the lungs and intestines and doesn't properly allow the passage of food and air flow so patients often eat a lot but suffer from malnutrition, stunted growth, problems with breathing, and chronic respiratory infections.

Though there is not a cure for the disease many people are living to be 30 plus with Cystic Fibrosis when the expected age years ago was barely 4 years old. Treatment often consists of breathing techniques and ways to break up the mucous with devices such as the "chest vest". When these techniques fail to work steroids and antibiotics also help. Depending on the severity of the patients condition they may also have to seek options such as lung and heart transplants.

After studying about Cystic Fibrosis and changing my report topic to Immunoglobulin class productions and functions I began to wonder if or how IgA, (Immunoglobulin class A), could be related in such a disease as cystic fibrosis. It is an extreme mucous secreting disease in which bacteria are able to live in and IgA is the antibody class that protects the mucous lining against such bacteria and pathogens. To find out the direct relation I will have to study the two topics more in depth and come back with an answer!




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Medical problems in association with Cystic Fibrosis

• Sinusitis. Swollen sinuses that become blocked with mucus can become infected.
  


• Bronchiectasis. Here, the bronchial tubes that carry air to the lungs become stretched out and weak, forming pockets where mucus collects and provides a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause repeated lung infections. Untreated, bronchiectasis can lead to serious illness, including respiratory failure.
  


• Pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas.
  


• Episodes of intestinal blockage, especially in newborns.
  


• Nasal polyps, which may require surgery.
  


• Clubbing; that is, widening and rounding of the tips of the fingers and toes that develops because the lungs are not moving enough oxygen into the bloodstream.
  


• Collapsed lung, also called pneumothorax.
  


• Rectal prolapse. As a result of frequent coughing or problems passing stools, rectal tissue can protrude through the anus.
  


• Liver disease due to inflammation or blocked bile ducts.
  


• Diabetes.
  


• Gallstones.
  


• Low bone density due to vitamin D deficiency.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02973/Cystic-Fibrosis.html